How do I get the default notification sound on my Android phone?

What are default notification sounds?

The default notification sound on an Android phone is the preset sound that plays when you receive a new notification from an app. This could be an email, text message, Facebook notification, calendar event reminder, and so on. The default sound is built into Android and acts as the fallback sound if you haven’t customized notifications for a particular app.

For example, when you first get your Android phone, you’ll notice that every app uses the same “ding” sound when a notification comes in. This is the system-wide default notification sound that comes preloaded on all Android devices. Some Android skins like Samsung’s OneUI may have a different default sound.

You can think of the default notification sound as the “global” sound that will play for notifications across all apps, unless you specifically change the notification sound within individual app settings. Most Android phones have several built-in default notification sounds you can choose from.

Why use the default notification sound?

There are several benefits to using the default notification sound on your Android device:

Familiarity – The default notification sound is something users quickly become accustomed to. Switching to a different sound can be jarring and disruptive. Sticking with the default allows users to easily recognize notifications on their device.

Consistency – Using the default sound creates consistency across apps. This avoids having a cacophony of different sounds for different notifications. Users can rely on the familiar default sound no matter which app is sending the alert.

Accessibility – The default notification sound is designed to be universally accessible. Custom sounds run the risk of being too soft, low quality, or otherwise difficult for certain users to hear. The default sound is optimized for clarity and audibility.

Overall, the default notification sound promotes familiarity, consistency, and accessibility. Users can depend on its clarity and ubiquity across all apps on their Android device.

How to check your current notification sound

The first step in changing your Android notification sounds is to check what sound is currently set. Here’s how:

Open the Settings app on your Android device.
Tap on either “Sound & vibration” or “Notifications”, depending on your Android version. On newer versions of Android this is usually under “Sound & vibration”.
Look for the “Default notification sound” option. Tap on it to preview the current notification sound.

This will play your current default notification sound so you can hear what it is. Make a note of the sound if you want to switch back to it later.

Now that you know your current default notification sound, you can move on to changing it if desired. There are a few different ways to do this which we’ll cover next.

Change notification sound for all apps

You can change the default notification sound for all apps at once through your Android device’s Settings. This will set the notification sound that is used for any app that does not have a custom sound set.

To change the default notification sound on Android:

Open the Settings app.
Tap Sound & vibration.

Tap Default notification sound.
Select the sound you want to use from the available options.

The built-in options available in Android include notification sounds like “Pixie Dust”, “Crystal”, and “Bamboo”. You can also add your own custom sound files here if you want.

Once you select a new notification sound it will be applied as the default for notifications across all apps. Individual apps that have their notification sound customized in the app settings will not be affected.

You can always come back to the Default notification sound menu in Settings to change the sound again in the future if you want to switch it up. It’s an easy way to globally change the notification sound experience across your device.

Change notification sound for individual apps

You can customize the notification sound for each individual app on your Android phone. Here are the steps to change the notification sound for a specific app:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android phone.

2. Tap on “Apps & notifications”.

3. Under “Recently opened apps”, select the app you want to customize the notification sound for.

4. Tap on “Notifications”.

5. Tap on “Sound”.

6. Select the sound you want to use for that app’s notifications from the list. You can choose from the built-in default notification sounds or use your own custom sound file.

That’s it! Now that specific app will use the notification sound you selected instead of the default for all notifications. You can repeat these steps for other apps to customize their notification sounds individually.

This allows you to set different notification sounds for different apps, so you can identify which app is sending you a notification without having to look at your phone. It’s very handy for productivity and organization.

Use built-in default notification sounds

Android comes with a set of default notification sounds you can choose from. These built-in options include sounds like Whistle, Ping, Popcorn, and more. To use the default notification sounds:

1. Go to Settings > Sound & vibration.

2. Tap Default notification sound.

3. You will see a list of built-in notification sounds to choose from such as:

Whistle – A short, high-pitched whistle tone
Ping – A pinging sound, like sonar
Popcorn – The sound of popcorn popping

Sonic – A retro video game sound effect
Crystal – A crisp, clear crystal tone

4. Tap on the sound you want to set as the default.

The selected sound will now play for notifications across all apps on your Android phone. Using the built-in default sounds allows you to quickly choose an appealing tone without needing to download custom sounds.

Use custom sound files

One option for changing your notification sound is to use your own custom audio files, such as MP3 or WAV files. Here are the steps to add custom sounds:

Save the audio files you want to use, such as MP3 or WAV files, to your device’s internal storage or SD card.

Open the Settings app and go to Sound & vibration > Default notification sound.
Tap on “My Sounds” at the top.
Tap the + icon to add a new sound.

Select the audio file you want from your downloads folder or SD card.
Give the sound a name and tap OK to add it.
You can now select this custom sound for your default notification sound.

The advantage of using your own audio files is you can set any sound you want as your notification alert. You can use voice recordings, sound effects, song clips, or whatever audio you prefer. Just make sure the files are in a compatible format like MP3 or WAV before adding them. This gives you unlimited options for customizing your notification sounds.

Source: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-change-create-android-notification-sounds-4783114

Troubleshooting tips

If you are still having issues with notification sounds after trying the above steps, here are some additional troubleshooting tips:

Check notification access – Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications > Advanced > Notification access. Make sure that notification access is enabled for the problematic app.[1]

Do Not Disturb settings – Go to Settings > Sound > Do Not Disturb and make sure that Do Not Disturb mode is disabled. If it is enabled, notification sounds will be muted.[2]

Restart your device – Sometimes a simple reboot can fix inconsistent notification sounds. Press and hold the power button and tap “Restart” to reboot your Android phone.

Check app notifications – Open the app’s settings and make sure notifications are enabled and the notification sound is set correctly.

Update apps – Outdated apps may have notification sound bugs. Update them to the latest version.

Clear app cache/data – This wipes out any corrupt data that could be causing issues. Go to Settings > Apps & notifications and select the app.

Factory reset – As a last resort, backup your data and reset your device to factory default settings.

Third-party apps

There are many third-party apps on the Play Store that offer a wide selection of ringtones, notification sounds, and more. One of the most popular is Zedge, which has a huge library of free ringtones, notification sounds, wallpapers and more to choose from. With Zedge you can browse by category or popularity, listen to sounds before selecting, and easily set sounds as your default notification.

Other top options include:

Notification Sounds – collection of notification tones and message sounds
Ringo Ringtones & Notifications – thousands of free ringtones and sounds

The advantage of using a dedicated ringtone app from the Play Store is access to a much wider range of sounds than what comes pre-installed on your device. This gives you more options to find the perfect notification sound for your needs.

Key takeaways

Here are the key steps to change your notification sound on Android:

Go to Settings > Sound to check your current notification sound and change it for all apps.

Open individual apps and go to App Settings or Notifications to customize sounds for each app.
Use the built-in default notification sounds on your device like “Notification ringtone” or “Whistle”
Add your own custom sound files as notification tones.

Make sure system sounds are enabled and notification access is allowed for the app.
Try restarting your device or reinstalling the app if sounds don’t work.

With these steps, you can easily set the default system notification sound or use custom sounds for your apps on Android.